Brace for necks of musical instruments



(No Model.)

S. KELLY & T. MOORE. v BRAOE FOR NEOKS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 557,277. Patented Mar. 31, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN KELLY, OF ISLIP, AND THOMAS MOORE, OF BAY SHORE, NEW YORK.

BRACE FOR NECKS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,277, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed May 10, 1895. Serial No. 548,888. (No model.)

To all whom 712% may concern.

Be it known that we, STEPHEN KELLY, residing at Islip, and THOMAS MOORE, residing at Bay Shore, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braces for the Necks of Musical Instruments; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

l-Ieretofore difficulty has been experienced owing to the bowing or springing of the necks of musical instruments, due to the tension of the springs and other causes.

Our invention aims to provide improved means for overcoming this difliculty; and it consists of an exterior adjustable brace for the neck, constructed and attached in the peculiar manner more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view showing the application of our complete invention; and Figs. 2 and 8, detail views of the brace and hanger, respectively.

In the drawings we have shown our invention applied to a guitar, of whichArepresents the body and B the neck, but it is evident that it can be applied to any musical instrument having a neck; and we therefore do not limit ourselves to the use of our invention as shown in the drawings. In musical instruments of this class the tendency is toward an upward bowing or springing of the neck, occasioned by the constant stress thereon, owing to the tension of the string. To obviate this difficulty and also to strengthen the neck generally, we provide devices which will now be described.

The brace consists of a suitable metallic rod 1, screw-threaded at one end, as shown at 2, and having its other extremity flattened, as at 3, and provided with a series of holes 4:, whereby the brace may be attached to the body A of the instrument.

The hanger is shown at 5 and consists of a substantially L-shaped piece of metal, one limb, 6, of which is provided with screw-holes '7, whereby the hanger may be attached to the neck B of the instrument by suitable screws or fastening devices. The otherlimb, 8, is provided with an aperture 9, through which the screw-threaded end of the rod 1 passes.

An ornamental adj Listing-nut 10 is adapted to screw on the rod 1, and afford means whereby the tension on the rod may be regulated as desired.

The parts may be constructed as strongly and as ornamental as required by the size and value of the instrument to which the brace is applied.

Superior means are thus provided whereby the neck (usually a weak part of the instrument) is strengthened, and the tendency to bowing or springing heretofore referred to is counteracted.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

An exterior brace for musical instruments comprising the combination of a rod having an extremity secured to the body of the illstrument, a hanger secured to the neck of the said instrument and through which the free extremity of the rod passes, and an adjusting-nut for regulating the tension of the rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN KELLY. I THOMAS MOORE.

\Vitnesses WILLIAM H. VAIL, ARTHUR H. VAIL. 

